Disease-causing germs can live on many surfaces and therefore can be a vector for the spread of disease. Ultraviolet (UV) light is used for various applications such as disinfection and sterilization. Exposure to UV light kills or inactivates microorganisms, thereby rendering the microorganism incapable of reproducing and infecting. As an example, prior to surgery, surgical instruments may be exposed to UV light to disinfect and sterilize the instruments, thereby reducing any risk of exposing patients to unwanted surface microorganisms. Conventional UV sterilization technology includes large reflective chambers and gas lamp-based systems employing xenon and/or rare earth gases.
The inventor herein has recognized several issues with the above approaches. First, large reflective chambers and larger gas lamp-based systems are expensive and cumbersome, and not practical for daily use. Furthermore, more compact versions of gas lamp-based systems require larger voltage-driven power supplies to operate, are environmentally hazardous, and still remain large and unwieldy for a clinical or surgical setting. Further still, the UV illumination in such large chambers and gas lamp-based systems may not be uniform, which prolongs sterilization times and energy consumption, and increases operating costs.
One approach that at least partially addresses the above issues includes a method of irradiating a work piece comprising, forming a cutout recessed from a surface of a light guide, positioning the work piece inside the cutout, irradiating a light input surface of the light guide with UV light, and guiding the UV light from within the light guide through recessed surfaces of the cutout to irradiate the work piece.
In another example, a radiation delivery system may include a light guide comprising a UV transparent tray with one or more cutouts recessed from a surface of the tray, the one or more cutouts shaped to cradle one or more work pieces; and an array of light emitting elements arranged to direct radiation into a light input surface of the tray, wherein the one or more work pieces are irradiated by radiation transmitted from within the tray through recessed surfaces of the one or more cutouts.
In another example, a UV light guide for irradiating one or more work pieces, may comprise: one or more cutouts recessed from a surface of the UV light guide, the one or more cutouts shaped to cradle the one or more work pieces, wherein recessed surfaces of the one or more cutouts comprise UV transmissive surfaces for transmitting UV light from within the UV light guide on to the one or more work pieces.
In this way, the technical effect of delivering more uniform irradiation to the surfaces of a work piece may be achieved. Furthermore, the energy and time consumed during irradiation of the work piece may be reduced, thereby lowering operating costs. Further still, the radiation delivery system may be more compact, thereby making it more convenient and practical for daily applications.
It will be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.